Answers · Accessibility · As of 6 October 2026
Which barriers are most common on websites?
Short answerAlmost every website has them: 95.9% of one million homepages examined show machine-detectable breaches of the WCAG, on average 56.1 errors per page1. The most common is text with insufficient contrast1.
What the largest measurement shows
WebAIM checks one million home pages every year. In 2026, 95.9% had at least one machine-detectable error. The number of errors per page rose by 10.1% compared with 2025, to 56.11.
The most common error
Text with insufficient contrast was found on 83.9% of home pages, compared with 79.1% the year before1. The minimum for normal text is 4.5:12.
What a machine detects and what it does not
An automated check reliably identifies what can be calculated or counted: contrasts, missing image descriptions, form fields without labels, buttons without names.
Whether an image description is meaningful or whether a form can be easily used with the keyboard is still checked by a human.
Why the issue is pressing
Since 28 June 2025, the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG, the German Accessibility Strengthening Act) has applied in Germany. Since then, online shops have had to ensure digital accessibility3. Shortly after the start, the first cease-and-desist letters circulated4.
Legal advice will clarify whether your offering falls under the Act. This page does not replace it.
More detail (in German): WCAG 2.2: the checkpoints
Sources
- WebAIM: The WebAIM Million: webaim.org
- web.dev: Color and contrast accessibility: web.dev
- Eye-Able: BFSG and cease-and-desist letters: eye-able.com
- Xictron, citing KBM Legal: xictron.com
Every figure on this page comes from the source named next to it and was read on the date shown above. Figures from studies describe the sample examined; they are no promise for an individual case.